September
18, 2001-- Folk art treasures from Charlottesville
collectors will be on exhibit at the University of Virginia Art
Museum from Oct. 5 through Dec. 2. The show, "Singular Visions:
Folk Art from Charlottesville Collections,"opens with a
reception Friday, Oct. 5, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Created
by self-taught artists inspired by their lives and visions, these
works are often referred to as "naive art" in the mainstream art
world. Using such materials as house paint, scraps of wood and paper,
watercolors, pens and markers, folk artists often choose everyday
tasks, dreamlike recollections, spiritual visions or biblical narratives
as their subject matter.

"Collectors
of this work are captivated by the artists' sincerity and originality,
as well as by the freshness and accessibility of the works themselves,"
says Suzanne Foley, exhibit curator.

The
show includes works by such well-known folk artists as Minnie Evans,
Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Minnie Atkins, Sam Doyle and Howard Finster.
Most of the artists are Americans from the Southern United States.

The
University of Virginia Art Museum is open to the public without
charge Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The museum is located
on Rugby Road, a short distance from the Rotunda. A small parking
lot for visitors is located behind the museum.